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Exciting Anti-Aging Ingredients You Need to Know About!

Searching for the fountain of youth in a bottle? This is as close as it gets! Find out which superstar ingredients can help defeat the signs of aging including wrinkles, collagen loss, and more.

Paula Begoun:

Good evening or good morning or good afternoon, depending where you are in the world. I'm in Las Cabos, Mexico right now. I'm Paula Begoun, the Cosmetics Cop, with my Paula's Choice Research Team - Desiree Stordahl, Bryan Barron, and our newest addition, Daynah Burnett, although Daynah has been part of the Paula's Choice Research Team for some time now and is actually a really vital part of the Paula's Choice Research Team.

00:00:33

And she is helping out because we have been changing our format a little bit as many of you already know obviously because live, it's Tuesday night in Seattle, Washington. Well, actually almost any place in the Western Hemisphere it is night. It is so hard to tell time when you are a global company where you are at. But we are now on Tuesday evenings live.

00:01:02

And of course you can listen to us archived any time. We changed from Thursday evening. Actually, why did we change to Tuesday evening? People asked us, right Bryan, Desiree?

Desiree Stordahl:

Tuesday turned out to be a more convenient night for people. Less of their primetime shows are on, less people are getting ready for the weekend. So we really wanted to do it to benefit our callers and our listeners.

Bryan Barron:

And the Happy Hour at the restaurant up the street.

Paula Begoun:

So when is "Glee" on?

00:01:32

Is that part of what we did is we were interrupting people --? I think "Glee" -when is "Glee" on?

Bryan Barron:

"Glee" is actually on Tuesday nights. But we were just talking in our pre-show meeting about the wonders of DVR and TiVo and On-Demand that nobody really watches shows when they are actually on anymore. You just record them or watch them whenever you have time.

Paula Begoun:

Actually, you know, speaking of that because I never have time and I'm actually not a big - I'm a movie person, an old-time movie person more than I am a TV show - I did get into "Glee" for awhile but the storylines just got a little bit too avant garde for my taste.

00:02:14

But now I am into "Once Upon a Time." Bryan, do you do "Once Upon a Time?"

Bryan Barron:

No. I do not. In fact I don't know about that show. It sounds like a fairy tale show.

Paula Begoun:

Ah! I know a show Bryan doesn't know! I think the world just shifted. It's a full moon, that's why.

00:02:35

So there is a television show, I mean I am going off - sorry about this - so "Once Upon a Time," it is a TV show based on fairy tales and this wicked witch, the Wicked Witch of wherever created a spell, a curse, and all of these fairy tale people have been transported to some town in current day United States called Story Brook - I think it is in main - and their lives are acting out in the real world somewhat based on who they were but they don't know they were once storybook characters.

00:03:13

So it goes back and forth between their life as storybook characters and their current life in this town called Story Brook, Maine. It is wonderful.

Bryan Barron:

Weird. It sounds intriguing.

Paula Begoun:

Desiree, do you watch that? You said you watch that show.

Desiree Stordahl:

No, nope. Not that one. Remember, I was the "Storage Wars" girl.

Paula Begoun:

Oh that's right.

00:03:35

Daynah, do you watch that one?

Daynah Burnett:

I don't, but I have heard of it. And I have to say that it is intriguing and I have wanted to check it out. And on your recommendation I must.

Paula Begoun:

Okay, everybody out there has to watch this show because I don't want it to go off the air. Now I am nervous that I am the only one who knows about it. Oh, no, the young woman we were doing our film with, she knew about it. Oh gosh, now I'm nervous.

00:03:59

But nevertheless, okay, terrible departure. We are now on Tuesdays west coast time, Seattle time, live, with our Paula's Choice Research Team, my wonderful, amazing, incredible team. I couldn't be the Cosmetics Cop without my team. I would just - I don't know what I would be. I would be a workaholic in an attic somewhere, in a loony bin, because I could barely think straight. They help me think straight. They keep me abreast of the latest stuff that is going on. We double check each other, write together, research together.

00:04:35

And they are the lead and they are going to be the ones who will be taking over our radio show "Be Beautifully Informed" more and more as the time goes on. Many of you already know that I haven't been on very much lately. So I am going to be more of a guest showing up every now and then. I like being a guest - you get served nicely, people appreciate you more.

00:05:00

What is that saying that company or guests are like fish after three days, they start smelling bad? I don't know, I'm in a mood. I did have one glass of wine. There. I just had one glass of wine. And it was a small glass of wine. Sorry. So, where was I going with that? So where I was going with that is that I am going to be the guest every now and then. I'm not going to be on regularly. The Paula's Choice Research Team, Daynah, Desiree, and Bryan will be doing the show regularly.

00:05:34

And we are also controlling the format a little bit more except obviously I'm not because I'm kind of just carrying on. So, we are going to, talk about any one topic, we are going to be spending a lot more time taking your calls and addressing your needs, whether it is around Paula's Choice products or other products.

00:05:59

So the show is going to be more dedicated to helping our listeners take better care of their skin. We are definitely going to cover topics like today the topic is exciting anti-aging ingredients you need to know about. These are the ingredients we are formulating with more and more, things we are looking at, new products we have coming out that my product development director and I have been working on.

00:06:27

So we are definitely going to cover topics. I'm still going to rant on occasion, not quite so rambling about, I don't know, nothing right now. But we are definitely going to spend more time on you. I'm going to be more of a guest every now and then coming on. And the Paula's Choice Research Team is going to take great care of you, so please stay listening. Let us help you. And, oh Daynah, I just want to personally - I know I introduced you, but I want to personally thank you for helping us out with BlogTalkRadio for now on.

00:07:03

I understand you are getting up to speed and you are now Desiree's, one of many Desiree's arms, sharing/helping with getting through to callers and things like that. Thank you, Daynah.

Daynah Burnett:

You are very welcome. I have got big shoes to fill though. She is quite a wizard behind the scenes.

Paula Begoun:

She is something.

Desiree Stordahl:

You are too nice.

Paula Begoun:

I'm telling you, you are something.

00:07:29

But Daynah, I know that Bryan doesn't breathe without you. It takes a village. It takes a village. I actually do have just one rant. I know we are supposed to narrow the field, but I just have got to tell you this email came in about 12 beauty breakthroughs in the cosmetics industry. And I just got sick to my stomach.

00:08:00

There isn't one breakthrough in any of this list, these products, and I think perhaps Aveda has some hair growing things that just isn't going to grow anybody's hair. But I have got to tell you, of this list of 12 things - and, oh, Bryan, did you notice that one of them was a product from University Medical who comes out with some of the most just -

Bryan Barron:

Misleading. Yes.

00:08:34

In fact, Paula, that University Medical product was one that we discussed awhile back. I showed you the magazine ad and it has got those little adhesive patches and it almost looks like an iPod and an anti-wrinkle contraption merged together. And it is $129.00.

Paula Begoun:

And then did you see that - I don't even want to get into how many University Medical products and the way they represent themselves have nothing to do with universities.

00:09:04

Nothing to do with medical. But separate from that did you see one of the ones they were touting as a new breakthrough was dermal injections with culturing your own cells, which is one of the most expensive ways to get dermal fillers. And there is no research showing that that $5,000 expenditure is any more reliable or lasts any longer than any of the other myriad fillers that are out there.

00:09:38

And it is one of the most expensive ones. And the way they make it sound, they make it sound like this is the best - well they make everything sound like this is the best one ever. I hate these lists. I get these questions from beauty editors all the time, "What's the latest, what's new, go crazy, tell us whatever you think; we want the new, we want the new." And so people come out with new and crazy stuff and they make it sound great because the beauty editors and the writers for the newspapers want you to just, you know, everything has got to be new, and everything has got to stay great.

00:10:11

And so people just feed them this stuff that doesn't help any consumer. But the one that took the cake, now we haven't tested this, so I can't say 100% whether or not it really works, but there is no way in heck anybody can get - so let me just say what it is first.

00:10:37

So it is called the Romi Digital Foundation. It is $90.00 and what it is, it is some kind of device that when you press a button, apply foundation, powder and concealer all at the same time in a stippling technique so it pats your skin like a tapping motion to get your foundation on.

00:11:07

And I promise you, again, I haven't tested this, but after 30 years of applying foundation both professionally and on myself, I can guarantee you that once you have what they call stippled on a foundation which is patted it on your skin, which is one technique to get foundation on, you absolutely have to blend it.

00:11:30

You are going to still have to use a sponge to make sure that it is on evenly because you are going to miss areas. And this is going to take infinitely longer than just using foundation and a sponge. No one is going to notice - and, again, I am talking without having tried it - but $90.00 to get on your foundation, I mean give me a break! All right, I am done ranting.

00:11:59

These "best" lists, please to my audience out there, I love you guys. I will always let you know what is new and great and what you should pay attention to and what you shouldn't. That is what the Paula's Choice Research Team does. That is what I have been doing. And most of those "best" lists out there are garbage! They are garbage. Okay, that list really got to me, Bryan. I've got to tell you. All right, so Bryan, exiting anti-aging ingredients you need to know about. And so the best one -

00:12:29

And I don't want to say best. I worry about saying best because the truth of it is there are so many wonderful ingredients out there that fight free radical damage, fight sun damage, build collagen. Really, the skincare industry when they get it right, when they put great formularies together, leave out the irritating ingredients, leave out the problems, it is more - and use good packaging - like what is with the jar packaging?

00:12:59

Was it Clarins? Whose products did you send me, Bryan, that they are like $400.00?

Bryan Barron:

La Prairie.

Paula Begoun:

Oh, La Prairie. Can you believe that line is still around? What was it, between $300.00 and $400.00 for these products? They actually weren't terribly formulated, in fact, a couple of them were pretty interesting. They weren't worth the price. They come in jar packaging.

00:13:30

Jar packaging!

Bryan Barron:

I don't get the whole - they have that other product that had diamond powder in it and platinum -

Paula Begoun:

Oh platinum. Platinum.

Bryan Barron:

There's no - I mean platinum is gorgeous for jewelry. It is expensive. It is a precious metal. There is no research showing it does anything for skin. If La Prairie knows something about it they are certainly not sharing it. And then assuming it is, this is one of the questions that I never get a straight answer to at the cosmetics counter; assuming that whatever ingredient they are promoting is so amazing and so unlike anything else, than what everybody must have, why isn't it in all of their other products, too?

Paula Begoun:

Right.

00:14:13

Right. And why are they still selling the other products if they are not as good as this new one. And given the price, given how expensive platinum and diamonds are, there can't even be 0.00001% in the product.

00:14:30

And platinum and diamonds don't absorb. Why would you want that in your skin anyways, even if it can absorb. Platinum is a metal. Diamond is a hard rock. I mean it is - okay, see, I am ranting longer. Desiree is thinking, "We have Paula on as a guest; she is not following the format." All right.

Bryan Barron:

We did want to cut you some slack because you haven't been on for awhile. We missed you.

Paula Begoun:

I am on vacation.

00:15:05

I did have a glass of wine, but not a margarita. I didn't have a margarita.

Bryan Barron:

Yes, and in terms of anti-aging ingredients just to kind of bring us full circle here, you were going down the path of even though we do have a list here of, what is it, seven or eight ingredients that everyone should be looking for if you are concerned about mitigating signs of aging -

00:15:31

The way we condensed this list was, and Paula, you actually came up with the list, was to pick ingredients that have a significant amount of good research behind them, not just studies put out by the cosmetics company that weren't done double blind or weren't done comparative. There is a significant amount of research for all of these ingredients proving what they do for the skin. And it is all good. So, as we are going through these, this is not the definitive list.

00:16:00

This is not the only anti-aging ingredients you should ever look for. And these are not the absolute best. They are just the ones that really stand out that a lot of consumers already know about. But we are going to tell you why they are so great.

Paula Begoun:

And actually one of the things that is kind of fascinating about all of the new research about skincare ingredients - while a lot of the cosmetics industry wants you to believe that there is some new plant in the Amazon somewhere or someplace in deep African jungle or something that is good for skin -

00:16:39

The truth of it is what they are coming up with more and more are what I would call for lack of a better term "designer antioxidants." And one of the best examples of that are forms of green tea. So what it is, plants are great. Plant extracts have incredible antioxidant properties. A lot of them do. And there is incredible research about them, both orally and topically, but because skin can't break down a plant, it is really the active antioxidant in the plant, the polyphenol, the curcumin, I'm blanking out, but the different types of components within the plant that is the potent, stable antioxidant.

00:17:34

They are either extracting or creating in a lab and creating these brilliant designer antioxidant molecules that are actually more stable than the plant itself because - and the skin doesn't have to worry about breaking anything down. So in terms of green tea which is a brilliant extract, one of the things is the ingredient called EGCG. That is the abbreviation for a very long name called Epigallocatechin gallate which is the active antioxidant component of green tea.

00:18:15

And the same is true for the other ones on our list are vitamin E, the Tocotrienols, the alpha-Tocopherol, vitamin C, there are so many forms of vitamin C and the designer forms - because citrus, which has vitamin C in it, but the citruses also have acids and other components that can actually be a problem for skin. So when you take the active form of just the vitamin C and not in its fruit capacity, it's fruit form, you get this incredible stable form of vitamin C that does incredible things to fight free radical damage.

00:19:01

And which reduces irritation and helps build collagen and fights sun damage. Another ingredient that we are very fond of and some of you may know that we just launched our Resist Intensive Wrinkle Repair Retinol Serum. Retinol, while not the only skincare ingredient in the world for sure, definitely has an amazing amount of research showing that it works similarly in a cosmetic fashion to how the ingredients in Retin-A and Renova work.

00:19:36

Retin-A and Renova contain an ingredient called Tretinoin which is a form of vitamin A. And retinol is the whole vitamin A molecule. So you get retinol when it absorbs in the skin in a non-prescription product, like our Resist product. There are other ones. It actually breaks down into the active ingredient that is found in Retin-A and Renova.

00:20:03

And it is a cosmetic ingredient and it does incredible things. It is these designer molecules that are just doing some incredible things for skin. Another vitamin that is kind of interesting, and I just read some interesting research about nicotinic acid. Niacinamide is a form, is a vitamin B molecule, so is nicotinic acid part of the vitamin B molecule.

00:20:30

There is some incredible research about niacinamide not only being a cell-communicating ingredient - and we talk a lot about cell-communicating ingredients when we describe the ingredients we use in our products. We have a big description about it on our website at PaulasChoice.com. Retinol is a cell-communicating ingredient. Niacinamide is a cell-communicating ingredient. These ingredients literally are able to tell a living skin cell to behave better, to behave like a normal, young, healthy skin cell.

00:21:07

And in the case of niacinamide, although the research about it is - I wouldn't say controversial but just not conclusive, but there are many - you will look at niacinamide as being able to regulate the function of the oil gland by actually improving cell function directly within the pore structure.

00:21:31

Again, that is not conclusive, but there are people who would say that niacinamide does that and that niacinamide also improves the production of the quality of the kind of sebum skin produces. Now that gets more complicated than we want to get into, but the research going on about these ingredients - the other one we have - so one of the things that we talk about a lot in our work is something called skin repairing ingredients, skin identical ingredients.

00:22:03

And so the top layers of skin, you know skin cells would fly off into space because skin cells are just little individual round things that wouldn't connect to each other. They need something between the cells to hold them together. And so those substances, think about it like brick and mortar, the cells being bricks and these substances between the cells being mortar to hold the cells together, break down because of sun damage, because of age, because of hormone loss, because of health.

00:22:39

They can break down because of climate if you are in a very dry climate. So those substances, those skin identical substances or skin repairing substances that help hold skin cells together, that reinforce the skin's surface, are vital - vital - to the health of your skin. And when these are in your skincare products, ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid - those are incredible - and they can be as simple as glycerin.

00:23:16

Vitamin C is also found in the intracellular matrix. That is the technical name for the cement that holds skin cells together. Those ingredients, along with these wonderful antioxidants and cell-communicating ingredients do fabulous things, really state-of-the-art research about what helps skin. The other ingredient to talk about real quick is - oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention quercetin. Quercetin is an interesting little ingredient. Bryan, I bet you are not going to remember this because now I am blanking out - where is quercetin from? Is that from apple? Where is quercetin from?

Bryan Barron:

It is in apples, but it is a flavonoid pigment.

00:24:04

It's in many fruits and vegetables.

Paula Begoun:

Oh, right, it is a flavonoid. So, this is again one of those situations where the active component of the plant, the active antioxidant of the plant has been taken out and made stable and is being used in skincare products so that it is a potent form of keeping, of an antioxidant, to help skin heal, reduce free radical damage, reduce sun damage.

00:24:41

And there is research showing, just to go back to cell-communicating ingredients, I wouldn't say that this is widely accepted, but there is some research pointing to quercetin being a cell-communicating ingredient. Though I think that is kind of an iffy designation in terms of being able to tell a cell to behave better. I think its action is about being a really good antioxidant.

00:25:04

As opposed to ingredients like niacinamide and retinol that actually have a place on the cell where they can actually enter the cell and tell the cell to work. But the last one, and of course none of this has anything to do with not using a sunscreen, but I know everybody is bored with me telling them to use sunscreen, but if I don't say it I won't be doing my job. But the last ingredient that I know our listeners have heard me carry on about for some time along with sunscreen is salicylic acid - my little -

00:25:35

You know people ask me all the time what product could I not be without besides my toothbrush and that is my 2% BHA liquid. And salicylic acid just does phenomenal things for the skin because it improves exfoliation - sun damaged skin, hormone loss, aging, mostly sun damage, or oily skin people with oily skin, or people with acne tend to have a thicker outer layer of skin.

00:26:09

Skin cells just have a rough time shedding, those built up layers of skin, you don't necessarily feel that they are there, but they are there. And once you get them off skin feels brilliant. The metaphor, the analogy I always use is when you get a pedicure and the person doing your heels says, "Do you want me to exfoliate?" What do they do?

00:26:36

They take a big scrub thing and they scrub off all these dead skin cells, put on a moisturizer, and you don't have cracked ugly heels anymore. Now, I don't want you ever scrubbing your face like that because that actually damages skin on the face -face doesn't have calluses. Built up skin cells aren't the same thing. But getting the skin cells off are the same thing; you just have to do it gently or you will damage skin and make matters far worse for yourself.

00:27:03

And one of the most gentle ways to do it is either with salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid product. I prefer salicylic acid. But glycolic acid in our alpha-hydroxy acid products are absolutely an option and a consideration. And those ingredients, along with many others that we use in our Paula's Choice products, and we rate other people's products highly when they contain them and are in stable packaging, will take brilliant care of your skin because being beautifully informed and getting the best products out there is what the Paula's Choice Research Team is all about.

Well we have got lots of great questions here. Let's start with Ruth in Washington, DC.

Paula Begoun:

Hi Ruth.

Ruth:

Hi. And I want to thank you, Paula, for having this format. It is wonderful. And I also want to thank you for making Beautypedia free. Not many people do that these days. So I want to thank you for all that you do.

Paula Begoun:

Oh, that's lovely. Thank you, Ruth. What can I do for you, dear?

Ruth:

I wanted to know if you can use retinol under your eye and on your neck?

Paula Begoun:

Oh, yes!

00:28:19

But of course my answers are never that simple. But the simple answer is, yes, as a matter of fact almost anything you do to your face - almost anything - you should absolutely be doing to your neck and your chest. Because those parts of the body, actually any part of the body, and we do our body care products the same way, need the same ingredients to be healthy.

00:28:45

They need sun protection because sun is just a killer of skin. They need antioxidants. They need cell-communicating ingredients. They need skin repairing ingredients. So, yes, and exfoliation helps a great deal particularly, I would suggest exfoliation as one of the few things you can do with skincare products to get any amount of tightening back. It is not going to replace cosmetic dermatologic procedures, but you can get some tightening from it.

00:29:17

So, yes, I strongly encourage you to consider skincare for the face - the joke we have in the office is that your face starts at your boobs and you work up. Or down. And your boobs aren't exposed, maybe not in our part of the world. Maybe in France or in the Mediterranean skincare starts from your, I don't know, your bikini line up because they are hanging out on beaches undressed. Really, the parts of the body that are exposed to the sun age.

00:29:53

You go to Florida and you are on the beach, or actually here, too, in Mexico. You see women and they have got sagging, wrinkled legs because they have been sunning their entire body, the parts of the body that don't see the sun look infinitely younger. The long answer is that. The short answer is yes. The exception for the eye area is you really have to monitor sensitivity.

00:30:27

For example, for me what I do with my salicylic acid, my 2% BHA liquid is I mix a tiny bit of it into my moisturizer. I use our Paula's Choice Moisture Boost Treatment around my eyes. So I mix a little bit of my salicylic acid liquid in there and then put it around my eye and I find my eye handles that just perfectly. So, you can experiment with that.

00:30:57

Sunscreen, I generally only recommend sunscreen around the eye. In fact, I only recommend sunscreens around the eye that contain titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. It is not that synthetic sunscreens aren't effective, but they just run a risk of irritation. So around the eye, because most people don't mind the eye looking lighter, that is the negative about titanium dioxide and zinc oxide is that it tends to look whitish on the skin, but most women want their eye area to look lighter and then they apply foundation over it.

00:31:31

So titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, moisturizers around the eye, are generally the best way to go. But, yes, skincare starts at your boobs up.

Ruth:

Okay, thank you.

Paula Begoun:

So, Ruth, let me get you our new retinol serum as long as you mentioned that. And are you using any other of my Paula's Choice products that you are very fond of that you are out of and you need me to get you?

Ruth:

I have the cleanser and the toner, but I haven't tried anything else yet.

Paula Begoun:

Of the Resist - the cleanser and toner from Resist?

Ruth:

No, your Balancing Cleanser and Toner.

Paula Begoun:

So you have combination skin?

Ruth:

Right.

00:32:08

Except my neck is very dry and wrinkly. But my combination skin on my face, yes.

Paula Begoun:

And so are you using my BHA liquid or any of my BHA products?

Ruth:

No, I haven't. Just the cleanser and the toner.

Paula Begoun:

Oh my goodness. All right, let's get you going. So I am going to send you my retinol serum. Start off using it every other day.

00:32:31

You have got to test your face to see how you do with retinol. Not everybody can handle retinol. My face, I can do retinol maybe every other day. And then what I am going to get you is I want you to try our Resist Anti-Aging Hydrator. It is incredible for wrinkles and combination skin. Use that from the neck up. And then I do want you to try one of my beta-hydroxy acid lotions.

00:33:00

And so I think we will start you off with the 2% gel, see how you do, and then if you want a little more you can always try our 2% liquid. And, Ruth, thank you for calling. Take care, dear.

Ruth:

Thank you so much.

Paula Begoun:

All right, bye-bye. Daynah, next caller.

Daynah Burnett:

We've got Donna, and I don't know where she is from.

Paula Begoun:

Donna, where are you from?

Bryan Barron:

Donna, she is out there somewhere.

Donna:

California.

Paula Begoun:

California.

00:33:29

Where in California, Donna?

Donna:

Redondo Beach.

Paula Begoun:

Oh, that's nice! So what's going on? What can I do for you?

Donna:

Well, I have been reading about various products that claim to have stem cells and it seems to me that the [fruit] stem cells aren't going to do much for the human body, but a scary product I read about says that it had Adipose Tissue that has been -

Paula Begoun:

Adipose Tissue. Fat tissue that they have taken the stem cells.

00:34:05

Don't worry about it in skincare products for several reasons. One is that in order for stem cells to work they have to be alive. Stem cells don't work if they are dead. By definition, a cell can only become other cells if it is living and multiplying and dividing. Once you have taken a stem cell and you stick it in a skincare product, especially in a jar, it's dead.

00:34:36

It's dead! So, yes, it is scary and if they really were sticking stem cells, human or otherwise, in skincare products, I would be - and somehow keeping it alive, I would be very worried. Because stem cell research is in its infancy. It has all kinds of risks associated with it in the real world of health care.

00:35:01

In cosmetics it is just stupid. It is just stupid.

Bryan Barron:

Well especially like Paula we talked about this in the office, because a lot of companies are using plant stem cells because they don't come with the same controversy that human stem cells - there is that uncomfortable notion of using skincare products or a cosmetic that contains parts of another person inside of it. But plants, yes, we can get on board with that.

00:35:27

But the thing with plant stem cells, whether they are from an apple or an orange or a mushroom is all of those plant stem cells know how to do is make cells for that plant. So, if you are using an eye cream with apple in it, are you going to start - are you going to put apple cells in your skin that really only know how to make parts of an apple and so eventually the skin around your eyes starts turning reddish green and you start smelling like a braeburn?

Paula Begoun:

Actually, you know what is interesting about what Donna was saying about taking Adipose Tissue, fat tissue, and taking the stem cells out of that area.

00:36:09

So stem cells, the idea of stem cells can become any cell. So, I mean I am not going to get into even vaguely how that works in the real medical world. But it is in a very controlled situation in how they do it. It is very complicated. It is very expensive. But the major thing that it has to be alive. And, it ain't - even assuming it is really a stem cell, which I doubt it was in the beginning.

00:36:42

But let's assume that part they are telling the truth, it is not alive anymore so it is meaningless, so let go of that one, Donna. It ain't the answer. It is silly. They are lying. It is funny - stem cell research is really in its infancy and it is growing and it is complicated, but of course only the cosmetics industry has the answer while everybody else, the [Hutch Center] in Seattle, Washington is struggling with bone marrow transplants and stem cell transplants.

00:37:21

All right, don't get me started. Okay, so Donna, did I answer your question dear?

Donna:

Yes. I thought it was baloney and you reinforced that. Thank you.

Paula Begoun:

You are a good cosmetics cop. Donna, what Paula's Choice products are you using or do you need me to get you started on some great skincare?

Donna:

The product that I order and reorder is the Body Butter Cream. It just seems to work so well, especially in the winter on my hands. I have horses and I get chapped and that is my absolute favorite product.

Bryan Barron:

You know, Donna, my neighbors both work for UPS.

00:38:02

And they handle a lot of packages and cardboard and their hands get abused. And I routinely bring that product to them. They love it. When they run out they panic.

Paula Begoun:

It's interesting you mention our Body Butter because we had it in a jar for many years and then when the research came around that products in jars were a problem and we changed packaging, it's just I hate our packaging for our Body Butter.

00:38:36

But that product is, first of all, you only need so little so it is going to last forever. It looks like it is a - it is a four-ounce tube and it looks like it is not going to last, but it lasts forever. The truth of it is it really wouldn't have broken down in a jar because it is not that kind of a product. It is really great for skin. But it just - I mean I never really had dry skin on my hands until just recently in life and I don't know what I would do without it.

00:39:10

So we will send you - that is a long story to say, Donna, we will send you another one. And we will send you our new retinol resist product for the face. What skincare products are you using?

Donna:

I have tried retinol products and I do get itchy, scratchy and I have not done well with them. And I want to -but the other things that I have been using are Dr. Perricone.

Paula Begoun:

Oh, okay. Well we are done with that. You can't afford that. I can't afford that. And you don't want to afford that because - don't get me started on Perricone.

00:39:53

Okay, you know something, let me say this to people in my audience because obviously I love my products. But if you are going to spend money on skincare products that is a lot of money, you really want to take a look at the Estée Lauder Corporation, particularly Lauder itself and Clinique. Now I definitely don't like all of their products, definitely too many of them come in a jar. But when it comes to state-of-the-art formularies that I think aren't worth the money, but if you want to spend a lot of money look to the Estée Lauder Corporation.

00:40:32

They are more right than not. And you can waste money there. Having said that, Donna what skin type - that was a nice plug for Estée Lauder. Donna, what skin type do you have?

Donna:

Dry or regular. Depends on time of year and part of my face.

Paula Begoun:

Okay. So I am going to send you our Resist Cleanser and Toner. I am going to send you our Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum from Resist, the one that doesn't have retinol, or just has such a teeny amount that you won't have any reaction to it.

00:41:12

It will be safe for your skin. And then I am also going to send you our Skin Recovery Moisturizer. I think that will get you in a good direction. And if you do decide to continue on with them, save you a whole heck of a lot of money. Donna, thanks for calling.

Donna:

Thank you so much.

Paula Begoun:

Take care. Daynah, next caller.

Daynah Burnett:

All right. We've got Deb in New York with a question about antioxidants.

Paula Begoun:

Hi Deb.

Deb:

Hi Paula. I'm a big fan.

Paula Begoun:

Oh, I'm so glad. What's going on? What can I do for you?

Deb:

I'm turning 40 at the end of this month and I was interested to hear if I really should add an antioxidant to my skincare regime.

Paula Begoun:

So tell me what you are doing to take care of your skin.

Deb:

Well I have Rosacea and Perioral Dermatitis, so I put -I am a minimalist.

00:42:12

I use probably the least amount of products. I wash with Paula, the Moisture Boost. I use 1% BHA cream at night. And then I apply Metro Cream. And I use CeraVe, the PM lotion.

Paula Begoun:

Okay. And how is that going for you? It sounds like you are doing the right things. Is that going well for you?

Deb:

I think it is going well.

00:42:38

But I do notice that I am starting to get brown aging spots around my face and wrinkles because I'm getting older, around my eyes.

Paula Begoun:

It does happen. So, have you thought about going to a higher concentration of the BHA, of my BHA?

Deb:

I did wonder about that when you actually do switch from 1% to 2%, if you notice something or --?

Paula Begoun:

It really has to do with how much sun damage you are showing.

00:43:11

And generally when you are younger, because less sun damage is showing, or you have sensitive skin - what I call reactive skin because everybody really has sensitive skin - then the lower strengths are better. But for some people the higher strength 2% BHA, or for AHAs the 8% and 10% AHAs just get that extra skin cell layers off. Other ingredients absorb in better. So I will send you my 2% BHA lotion and you can give that a shot. You can also alternate, one night do the 1%, one night do the 2%, and see how that works for you.

00:43:54

Every skin type, every skin type needs antioxidants. You can't get enough antioxidants to the skin. It is just like your diet. So, yes, anything you can do to add antioxidants to your skincare routine, the better you will be. The CeraVe nighttime moisturizer is nicely formulated. It isn't, for lack of a better term, it isn't brilliantly formulated, but it is nicely formulated. And as long as you are not reacting to that I would stay with that. I think it is a great product.

00:44:31

I am going to send you one of my serums. I do want you to try my Skin Recovery Antioxidant Serum because I think that extra soothing dose of antioxidants you will get and the silky feel of the ingredient base I think will help your Rosacea a lot. By the way, is the Metro Cream keeping your Perioral Dermatitis down as well? How is that going? What are you using for that?

Deb:

I usually put the Metro Cream and I try to stay away from spicy foods and things like that. Alcohol.

00:45:09

But when I turn 40 I want to have a pomegranate margarita, so, I may have an outburst.

Paula Begoun:

Oh, absolutely. Well actually, here is what I was going to suggest for you to consider trying, and definitely have a pomegranate margarita. Talk to your dentist about finding an alternative to brushing your teeth with fluoride.

00:45:37

You can find toothpastes that don't contain fluoride. I would never make that recommendation without you checking with your dentist. But fluoride can flare - if you are not careful with how you brush your teeth, getting fluoride on your face can actually trigger Perioral Dermatitis breakouts.

Bryan Barron:

Paula, in that vein, just a quick product recommendation, because this just came up yesterday in an email, someone with Perioral Dermatitis and the fluoride connection. I found a toothpaste called Squigle Enamel Saver Toothpaste. It is Squigle. And it is fluoride free.

00:46:17

Definitely worth trying if you wanted to rule out fluoride as a possible flare for Perioral Dermatitis.

Deb:

I have never heard of that. I have seen that Dr. Tom's or things like that, the natural ones.

Bryan Barron:

Oh, they are terrible. Okay, they may work well but they taste terrible. Oh my gosh.

Paula Begoun:

Terrible. Oh my god.

Bryan Barron:

It is like brushing your teeth with thick pasty chalk that somebody stuck a used Life Saver in.

Paula Begoun:

It's like brushing your teeth with Milk of Magnesia.

Bryan Barron:

Yeah!

Paula Begoun:

And, Deb, it is Tom's of Maine. I don't know if Tom is a doctor or not. But it is Tom's of Maine.

Deb:

Sorry.

Paula Begoun:

No, that's okay.

00:47:02

And it is, it is like brushing your mouth with thick Milk of Magnesia with a - okay, enough beating up Tom's of Maine but you definitely - actually it doesn't help to try to see for a couple of weeks if it reduces your problem around your mouth. But you do want to talk to your doctor about alternatives if fluoride is the culprit for you around your mouth. That is like, I never did understand that rumor, I don't know what it is, or myth that you use a toothbrush and fluoride to deal with acne.

00:47:41

Because fluoride can just inflame acne. It doesn't have anything to do with killing the bacteria that causes acne because fluoride is a, well never mind why, it is just a ridiculous thing. It is better off the face not on the face. So give that a try and then if you do find that it reduces your breakouts you are going to want to talk to your dentist about it. Anything else I can do for you, Deb?

Deb:

I think that is the main thing.

00:48:09

And does that antioxidant serum have retinol as well?

Bryan Barron:

The Skin Recovery one, it does.

Deb:

Oh it does. Okay.

Bryan Barron:

Are you looking to avoid that or no?

Deb:

No. I was looking to add that just because I was listening to you guys while I was on the phone and you talked about retinol and niacinamide.

00:48:30

I was listening to all of the ingredients and kind of checking my products to see if I was making the checklist.

Bryan Barron:

Yup. The one we are sending you does.

Paula Begoun:

And it is a small enough amount that for somebody with your skin type I don't think it will be a problem. But pay attention to it because some people have reactions to retinol. These are - some of these are pretty active ingredients and some people can't necessarily handle that and will have reactions.

00:49:00

But, yes. Definitely worth a shot and I don't think there is enough to bother your skin. All right, Deb, thanks for calling dear.

Deb:

Thanks a lot. Bye-bye.

Paula Begoun:

All right, bye-bye. Next caller, Daynah.

Daynah Burnett:

Next up we have got Stephanie from Canada. Stephanie?

Paula Begoun:

Stephanie! Stephanie?

Daynah Burnett:

Stephanie, are you there?

Stephanie:

Hello.

Paula Begoun:

Hi Stephanie. We can hear you. Can you hear us?

Stephanie:

I can hear you, yes. I can hear you.

Paula Begoun:

Where are from Stephanie?

Stephanie:

I'm from Ottawa.

Paula Begoun:

Oh, is it cold?

Stephanie:

Is it cold?

00:49:40

I had a night class this evening and walking home from class it was quite cold. But during the day it is okay.

Paula Begoun:

I won't tell you how warm it is here and feel very cocky about it.

Stephanie:

I am genetically Mediterranean and I was never meant for this climate.

Paula Begoun:

So tell me what I can do for you, Stephanie.

Stephanie:

Yes.

00:50:05

I was wondering if you could clarify for me some - if you could maybe go over again the difference between retinol and explain again the difference between retinol and then some of the prescription products. Specifically I use a product with Tretinoin in it for my acne.

00:50:30

But also if you could clarify specific to your line the difference between the Barrier Repair Moisturizer and the new serum that you just came out with. I know that they are both kind of a wrinkle product and they both have retinol in them to a bit of an extent. But I am just wondering how they are different and how they could be --?

Paula Begoun:

So, Stephanie, which Tretinoin product are you using?

00:50:59

You are up in Canada and I know there is a popular one that is often, I forget the name. Which tretinoin product are you using?

Stephanie:

I'm using one called Stievamycin. It is a tretinoin and erythromycin combination. And --

Paula Begoun:

Tretinoin with a topical antibiotic? Bryan, have you heard of that.

Stephanie:

For my acne.

Paula Begoun:

I haven't heard of that.

Bryan Barron:

It does sound familiar. But I can't think off the top of my head of the name of the US version of that product. But maybe I am thinking of - I know that there are some prescription benzoyl peroxide with topical antibiotics.

Paula Begoun:

So, Stephanie, let me jump in a little bit here.

00:51:51

I know you asked a specific question but as long as - I just want to wrap my brain around this. What other skincare products are you using to take care of your skin besides this tretinoin antibiotic mixture?

Stephanie:

Sure. The product that I was referring to was Stievamycin. It is by Stiefel. But I don't use it that much. I only use it every once and awhile when I have a really bad breakout. But the products I use, I'm actually using quite a few of the Paula's Choice line.

00:52:26

I have to say that I - it has been absolutely a breakthrough for my acne. I have struggled with acne most of my teenage years and most of my adult life and I have been following you for awhile because of it, I think. I think my problems with my skin led me to want to do a lot of research. So I am using two products from the Clear line. I use the Targeted Acne Toner and the Treatment. So I use --

Paula Begoun:

So you are using the benzoyl peroxide.

00:53:01

Okay. So, by the way, when you say breakthrough products you don't mean breakout products - you mean they really work for you? I just want to be -

Stephanie:

Yes. I think what I am so impressed with, I don't know how you do it, Paula. I don't. But what I am really impressed with is how quickly they clear my breakouts. And how even though they clear my breakouts how non-irritating they are, if that makes any sense.

Paula Begoun:

Not only does it make sense, that is the goal.

00:53:34

You can't heal acne and irritate it at the same time. Okay, so here is what it is. I think that retinol and tretinoin - you don't need both. However, you are telling me you are not using the tretinoin all the time. You are using it intermittently.

Stephanie:

Yeah, actually I don't use it very much at all. I guess for my acne the two Paula's Choice products pretty much take care of my acne.

00:54:06

But because I am in my 30s now and I feel like I turned 30 and I woke up and had wrinkles around my eyes, so now I have starting to use some of the Resist products. And I guess my one question was what is the difference between the Barrier Repair Moisturizer and the new serum. And my other question was if you could clarify because I know earlier in the show you were talking about how retinol is closely related to some other prescription products. And I was wondering if you could explain that.

Paula Begoun:

Right.

00:54:35

So first of all I like that you are using the tretinoin/antibiotic combination sparingly. I think it is a mistake to mix tretinoin with an antibiotic. They are two really different actions. I get that some pharmaceutical company came out with it, but there is new research about lower dose topical antibiotics. I don't know how much is in this one with your tretinoin, or mixing -

00:55:07

there is a prescription product that mixes benzoyl peroxide with a low dose topical antibiotic. There is just better research about how to use tretinoin. And because it has anti-wrinkle benefits, too, along with anti-acne benefits, I wouldn't mix the two up. Because you don't want to put antibiotics around your eyes.

00:55:27

And yet tretinoin is a good anti-wrinkle product. So, if you are going to continue or think about using a product in the United States, the most typical one would be Renova which contains tretinoin in a cream base. That is a great thing. Retinol and tretinoin are related because they are all part of the vitamin A world. Retinol is the technical name for the entire vitamin A molecule. It is a huge molecule with thousands of components which one of them is the active ingredient tretinoin.

00:56:00

And you put retinol on the face it can break down into tretinoin and become a cell-communicating ingredient in the skin. At the very least it works like an antioxidant. So that is how they are connected, tretinoin obviously is a pure ingredient and much stronger which is why a lot of women have trouble using it. Retinol is less strong because it has to break down and become tretinoin.

00:56:28

But even then it is a strong ingredient and people like Bryan - I think, Bryan, you can't go over 0.3% without having a reaction. I can't go over, oh geez, even less than that without having a reaction. So it depends person to person. What I am going to suggest to you is that you try my - I am going to send you my Skin Recovery Antioxidant Concentrate. I think you will like the way that works for you around your eyes. And it contains just a small amount of retinol as a good way to get started.

00:57:04

I do think it is worth talking to your dermatologist about getting a prescription tretinoin if you found that you could tolerate that, and you could use that all over. Does that answer your questions pretty much?

This is a fabulous formula. I am very proud of this for normal-to-oily skin to fight wrinkles. It is loaded with state-of-the-art ingredients. And it has some anti-redness ingredients in it to help heal the red marks from breakouts. So I absolutely want you to consider using that as well, Stephanie. I'm sorry, you had one more question for me?

Bryan Barron:

Paula, I think I can clear it up. Because Stephanie you were asking about the difference between the Barrier Repair Moisturizer and our new Retinol Serum in the Resist line.

Stephanie:

Because I currently use the Barrier Repair Moisturizer around my eyes.

00:58:15

And I do so because of the retinol. And I was wondering what the difference between the serum and the Barrier Repair Moisturizer - in fact, to be honest, I find that I alternate between the Clear products and the line and the Barrier Repair Moisturizer, and I don't get breakouts from the Barrier Repair Moisturizer.

00:58:37

If I alternate them I find I can use -

Paula Begoun:

Stephanie, I'm sorry, we are running out of time, sweetheart, and I went way too long. We are going to get your email and respond back to you directly. But the short answer is there is not a wild difference. Sometimes it is just texture and how something works for your skin. So I am going to have to say goodbye because I am going to have to wrap up.

00:59:02

But Stephanie I promise one of our team will get back to you to talk to you directly. I apologize for rambling on. I'm Paula Begoun, the Cosmetics Cop, with my Paula's Choice Research Team. And they will be back next week, on Tuesdays, live in Seattle at 6pm, talking next week on the 17th, "At-home anti-aging devices: Are they sad, fabulous, or a fad?"

00:59:29

On the 24th we are just going to be doing Facebook and Twitter questions all evening. And on the 31st, tips for the perfect foundation application with TV makeup artist Kimberly Heintzman. Particularly if you are struggling with covering up some tricky - it will work great. We are going to keep you beautifully informed. Come visit us at PaulasChoice.com and I will back when I can. Take care. Have a beautiful rest of your week.